THE SUNSET OF CONIBEAR Sports Illustrated: “As Wiepcke explains their working relationship, ‘Karl is the technician, I am the tactician.’”4144 Allison Danzig of The New York Times, September 4, 1960: “The Germans use a spoon-shaped blade, and they also have a novel rigging, the numbers 4 and 5 oars pulling from the starboard side.4145 They say they get hold of the water better with their unorthodox blades, and there is also less chance of washing out on a stroke. Having the two oarsmen coupled on the same side, they say, keeps the shell truer on course. “They are an exceptionally high stroking crew with a very short stroke. They scarcely go past the perpendicular or vertical, so little body swing is used. “The Germans use very strong leg drive.4146 They maintain that the short, high stroke is less tiring and makes for more rhythm.”4147 Sports Illustrated, August 22, 1960: “The most amazing thing about the crew is the rate at which it strokes – an incredible 47 to the minute. It almost never drops under 40. Few other crews in the world ever get within two strokes of 40. “An oddity? Certainly – but an oddity that may be adorned by an Olympic medal at Rome. For this crazy-looking, crazy- stroking crew – a collection of German university students who have raced and won together since 1958 – is the finest one ever produced in Germany. Profiting from the mechanical aptitude of a successful tinkerer, it has perfected a revolutionary technique which it fully expects will lead to a win over 4144 Lovesay, op. cit. 4145 the so-called Italian or Carcano rig, which Adam saw with the Moto Guzzi Coxed-Four at the 1956 Olympics. See Chapter 75. After 1960, the media started referring to it as the “German rig.” 4146 Misleading. See Chapter 92. 4147 Allison Danzig, German Eight Triumphs, With Navy Finishing Fifth, The New York Times, September 4, 1960 Navy4148 at Rome and a break in the monopoly the U.S. has held in the Olympic eight-oar event since 1920. “As the Olympics draw close, the ATV Ditmarsia Kiel / Ratzeburger RC crew is reaching its peak. At the international rowing regatta in Lucerne early in July [1960], it rowed the fastest time ever recorded by an eight-oar crew over 2,000 meters, an amazing 5 minutes and 47.5 seconds. There was a following wind, but those who saw the performance were still impressed. “‘Make no mistake about it,’ said Coach Jumbo Edwards4149 of Oxford, ‘these Germans are fast.’ “Strong, too, Edwards might have added. Last month in the West German Rowing Championships, four members of the Kiel/Ratzeburg crew won both the four- oared events, with- and without-cox, and two others won the double sculls. “The final race was the eight-oar championship, and the crew, not surprisingly, appeared tired. It ran behind a Berlin crew until close to the halfway mark. With 500 meters to go, Düsseldorf challenged. But Kiel/Ratzeburg dug deep into a reservoir of strength, raised the beat back to 44 in the stretch and finished a length ahead. “‘I don’t know that we would care to do that again,’ said Wiepcke, and there is little chance that they will have to. Germany wants the Olympic Eight-Oar Gold Medal badly. As one girl in the emotion-packed crowd said after the race, ‘People really wanted them to win. They are our Olympic hope.’”4150 1960 Olympics And win they did. . 4148 the U.S. Trials winner. See Chapter 90. 4149 See Chapter 78. 4150 Lovesay, op. cit. 1147
